U.S. Cellular won't renew naming rights deal at U.S. Cellular Arena

In a setback for the Wisconsin Center District, U.S. Cellular is not going to renew its naming rights deal at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The current agreement will expire on May 31. The original agreement began in 2000 and was renewed in 2007.

In a statement released by U.S. Cellular, the company said that, "after careful consideration, U.S. Cellular and the Wisconsin Center District, owner and operator of the U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, have decided to not continue the naming rights agreement to the building."

"We have enjoyed working with WCD, and we wish them success in the future," the company statement said.

The contract signed in 2007 combined cash payments and wireless services to the Wisconsin Center District totaling more than $2.4 million.

Franklyn Gimbel, chairman of the Wisconsin Center District, said he was looking at "alternative naming-rights candidates."

The U.S. Cellular Arena is home to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team and the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League. It also is the home for Disney on Ice, the Tripoli Shrine Circus, and concerts and corporate events.

District officials are expected to aggressively seek a new naming rights partner.

The decision comes just as the Wisconsin Center District, which owns and operates the arena, the Wisconsin Center and the Milwaukee Theatre, committed to install a new scoreboard in time for the next sports season. In addition, seats in the arena will be replaced over a three-year period.

Financing for the scoreboard will be done on a lease-to-own basis with the cost expected to be $1.2 million. The total cost of the seat replacement program is expected to be $1.7 million.

U.S. Cellular said it would continue to invest in the state and would continue to be the exclusive wireless provider of the Milwaukee Brewers and Summerfest and the presenting sponsor of the Wisconsin State Fair.